Brooklyn vs Manhattan
by JosiahGirl
Summary: Kit has moved to Brooklyn to start over, will she succeed? Will she ever see her brother and friends again? This is a sequel to Another Fine Day.
1. Into Brooklyn

It was late afternoon, the time that men would begin to rush for their homes from their jobs. Stopping for a paper from a newsie on the street corner. But today it would be difficult for there were fewer newsies on those corners. With the printers for the New York World and Journal on strike papers were hard to come by. Though it was late afternoon the few newsies who did sell had only gotten their regular number.   
  
No one noticed the two figures heading toward the New York Sun's distribution office. The slighter one was a girl in pants instead of a skirt with her hair in braids. The second was a boy, around the same height as the girl, but not as slight, he had a cane in his hand and a slingshot in his back pocket. They walked in silence as they neared the building; the boy hanging back at the gate as the girl approached the window.  
  
"Wes all out of papes…well hello there goilie, You come to eat the papes you didn't sell." The belligerent manager stated recognizing Kit from the morning.   
  
"The name is Curly, and Ise hope youse like eating crow. Here is the money Ise owes you for the papes youse so generously spotted me this morning." Kit slapped the coins on the counter, there was considerably more than the 25 cents she owed him there, and in fact there was an entire dollar. "If youse count right youse see Ise sold all hundred of those papes, be for lunch even. Ise should have come by sooner, but Ise was detained."  
  
The manager's jaw dropped, "You sold one hundred papes before lunch?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How you do it?"  
  
Kit couldn't resist winking at him as she replied, "A goil never reveals her secrets. Now if youse excuse Larry and me, wes got a pressing engagement in Brooklyn. Good day to you." And with that Kit picked up her money, minus what she owed, and her bundle turned on her heel and walked away. Spot waited for her to pass, tipping his hat to the manager, barely, and followed her down the street. When they were out of ear shot both burst out laughing.  
  
"Youse see his face when youse dropped those coins? Ise thought he was gonna fall over when you said youse had finished before lunch."  
  
Kit worked on catching her breath, "I know. Oh here is your dime back. I know he wouldn't have believed me if I hadn't had an entire dollar."  
  
"No problem." As he pocketed the dime, Spot looked around, "So youse ready to go to Brooklyn?"  
  
Kit instantly sobered, "Not really, you sure you want to do this? I can just find somewhere to sleep here in Manhattan."  
  
Spot glanced at her as they walked. "Nah this is you best choice if youse want to work. Ise sure youse be safe. Just stick with me, and don't worry bout it." As he finished speaking a near by clock rang out the time, 7 chimes. "Kosei will lets youse sleep there if youse are only there a couple of days. Wes better hurry if wes want to get to Brooklyn before it's too late." Spot took Kit's bundle and they began to run for the bridge. Not caring about who they almost hit or what they almost got hit by.  
  
While they raced Kit began to wonder why Spot was helping her? Didn't he dislike the idea of her working in Brooklyn? She was in a quandary, while she welcomed his help, as unexpected as it was, she wondered why exactly he was doing this. Part of her mind said to stay back, that trusting him would be risky but another, less sensitive part told her that she needed the money to survive and that the other options wouldn't be as open as this one was. She didn't notice they had left Manhattan till they were on the bridge.   
  
"Well Kit better say goodbye now, Ise got a feeling that Jack ain't gonna let you come back any time soon." Kit didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She chose on indifferent as they entered Brooklyn.  
  
As they entered Brooklyn two fairly young newsies, Jolly and Bait approached them.  
"Ise thought youse was a Manhattan newsie?" Bait eyed Kit suspiciously.  
"I was but I got kicked out cause I wanted to sell papes." Kit tried to give the best explanation with out giving a big long speech but Bait wouldn't let her.  
"Why come here? Other papes sell in Manhattan don't they?"   
"Yes other papes sell in Manhattan but I can't."  
  
Bait turned and looked at questioningly at Spot, "Why does she have to come here? Can't she stay some where else?"  
"Sorry Squirt she is staying with us."  
"But why, if Cowboy kicked her out then she has to be trouble and Ise thought youse didn't trust trouble makers."  
  
"Ise don't but Kit left cause she wanted to not cause Kelly kicked her out. Tonight she stays with us, but tomorrow she's gonna find a boarding house to stay at right Kit? Kit? Hey Kit wake up."  
  
Kit was staring off into space when Spot turned to her. Her mind was about 3000 miles away. "Huh? Sorry I was think about something, what did you ask?"  
  
"Youse gonna look for a boarding house tomorrow right?"  
"Yeah, in the afternoon."  
  
Jolly was a bit skeptical of a girl selling papers. It wasn't unheard of but it was quite unusual, especially to his eight-year-old mind, "Can youse really sell papes?"  
  
"I sold 100 papes today, all by myself. But I usually only can push 50."  
  
"REALLY? That is almost as go as Spot." Jolly and Bait both looked at her in awe. She smiled knowing she had won some fans, and hoped that the rest of Brooklyn would be this easy to win over.   
Spot laughed out right at their looks, "But Ise only sold all 100 before lunch once. She did that her first day on her own." Jolly and Bait's jaws went slack as they digested that information.   
  
Kit sighed, and smiled knowing that this story would be told more than once in the next couple of days. "I only sold them because some poor fish vendor hadn't gotten enough papes this morning, that and I was a girl."  
  
"Youse just gonna stand there or youse coming long?" Spot glanced up through the buildings at the sky, which had darkened ominously in the past ten minutes. "Wes better run for it, its gonna rain soon, and probably hard." As if to emphasize his point a crash of thunder was heard over the street noises.   
  
They all looked at each other and began running. Kit raced with the guys always on their heels as they ran, effortlessly keeping up. Raindrops began to land with large plops on the ground and the newsies causing them all to run faster. But it was to no avail; all four were soaked by the time they reached the Brooklyn Newsies' lodgings.  
  
Rounder was at the desk, "Spot youse back, How's Manhattan?" Then he Spotted Kit, "Well hello there, who might this picture of beauty be?"  
Kit snorted as she squeezed the water out of her hair and shirt. "Kit."  
  
Rounder came from behind the counter and stood in front of her "Why youse must be the prettiest goil that's walked through dose doors." He turned on the charm as he picked up her hand and brought it up for a kiss. "Ise Roundhouse, but most call me Rounder, but youse can call me anything youse want."  
  
Kit took her and back, surprised by the 'gallantry' but not taken in. "It's a pleasure, I am sure." Her face showed that this was anything but, as she moved a bit closer to Spot and the younger boys.  
  
"So this is why youse been going so much to Manhattan, here wes thought it was cause youse liked playing poker." Rounder addressed Spot as he went back to his side of the counter with a wink. "Ise assuming she's sleeping with youse then?"  
  
Kit came to the counter. "First off I have a name. Secondly I am not sleeping with Spot, or anyone else for that matter. I'll pay for my own space." She slapped down 7 cents, signed the book, and stood back, daring anyone to contradict her.   
  
"Ise sure that Rounder was just play with you Miss Kit. Youse can sleep in the bunk above mine." Jolly smiled at Kit, as tried to stop a fight from happening and to be nice to Kit at the same time.   
  
"That's a really nice offer there Kiddo but Kit is staying in my bunk." Spot saw Kit begin to open her mouth, "Let me finish, then you can object. Ise sleeps with you guys. It gives her some privacy and us some thing less to think about."  
  
"Kosei ain't gonna like this," Bait spoke as he paid and signed in.  
  
"Kosei ain't here, and it ain't like she's staying." Spot pointed out as he paid then motioned to Kit. "Come on, Ise show youse you room and get youse some thing to change into." She nodded and followed him up the stairs wondering what was on the other side of that doorway.  



	2. Once Upon a Brooklyn Bedroom

Kit walked up the stairs slowly, dreading meeting these newsies and what their reaction would be. "They don't bite Kit." Spot offered encouragement over his shoulder, "Ise bringing youse in so youse won't get a hassle. You ready?"  
  
Kit nodded and Spot stood in the doorway allowing Jolly and Bait to head in first. He put an arm around Kit's shoulder; "It's just like Tibby's only this time wes ain't together." He took his arm down.  
  
Kit stepped in and immediately blushed. It would seem they hadn't been the only ones to be caught in the rain. Many of the newsies had also gotten caught and were now in various states of undress. The room had been full of noise as she entered but as they realized someone new was there and conversations began to die. Kit suddenly became the center of attention, which caused her to blush a deeper shade of red.  
  
"Youse act like youse never seen a goil before." Spot looked at his guys in disbelief "Yes she's a goil, a newsgoil if you will. She's only here for tonight, She don't need pneumonia on her first day." He turned back to Kit, "Come on Ise show youse around and get some stuff." Spot lead Kit over by a set of doorways. "Through there's the washroom, it ain't as nice as the Manhattan one but it works. This here is where youse be sleeping tonight. It's my space."  
  
Spot showed Kit into what use to be storage space, still was to an extent. The two made up bunks and the pile of clothes on a chair seemed to be the only things that made the space personal. Spot pulled some pants and two shirts out of the pile on the chair and handed a shirt to Kit. "Here youse can wear this till you stuff drinks. Ise come and get youse in the morning. Oh youse probably want to put some ting over the door way."  
He left then taking his clothes with him, along with the pillow and sheet off the top bunk, but leaving a candle.  
  
Kit pulled the other blanket off the top bunk and looked around the room for something to stand on. How the heck was she suppose to put a blanket to cover the door when she couldn't reach the top of the frame? Or with anything to hang it up with? Then she saw a cabinet on the opposite wall; it looked like there were tools in it. She wove her way around the furniture to it and looked through it. Her search was successful and she found a hammer and a box with some nails in it.   
  
Now for something to stand on there was the chair…no, that wouldn't be tall enough. Maybe she could move the bed with out too much effort. She grabbed the edges of the bed and pulled. The noise brought Spot running. "What are you doing?"  
  
"You told me to hang a blanket over the door, I am trying to but I can't reach the top of the door frame. I am going to move the bed so I can sit on it and nail the blanket into place." Kit stated in a straightforward tone.  
  
Spot was successful at keeping the surprise out off his face. "Why not use a chair?"   
"It wasn't tall enough."   
"Then youse want some help?"  
  
Kit was relieved the bed was heavier than she had thought. "Sure."  
  
They both struggled with moving the bed but finally got it into the right place. Spot then climbed up and proceeded to nail the blanket in. After he was finished they moved the bed back to it's original place and sat down.  
  
"That all youse gonna need for tonight."  
"Yeah."  
"See youse in the morning then."   
  
Spot left, and Kit struggled to stay awake long enough to get ready for bed. She noticed that there was a pitcher and basin on a small table with a mirror attached to it near the back of the room. Kit didn't want to call Spot back into the room, so she went to move it by her self.   
  
First she moved the pitcher and basin to near the bed, then she picked up the table, which was luckily not that heavy and moved it over near the bed. She then placed the basin on the table, along with her candle. She peaked out the doorway but it looked like everyone was engrossed in a conversation, probably about her. She then ran for the wash room and the water spigot. She pumped the water she needed and went back.  
  
The wet clothes were getting annoying so she quickly changed them and then crawled into bed. Trying very hard not to think about what was being said about her on the other side of the wall. She soon fell into a fitful sleep.  
  
On the other side of the wall, Spot had been explaining what had happened who Kit was but it was not going as well as he had hoped. The only ones agreeing with him were the little boys, Jolly and Bait, but since they were so young no one listened. Even Brownoser was questioning him.  
  
"Ise don't care what is going on in her life, wes never took a goil in here to sleep before why start now? Hopper spoke, "Kosei let us bring our goils in but, even this is a bit much. She ain't even you goil. Why should we let her stay?"  
  
"Ise told youse she need to stay cuz she can't stay in a boarding house. She don't know her way around." Spot was losing his grip on his temper. He had only suggested that Kit stay there a week till she learned her way around. It wasn't like she was going to stay forever.  
  
"Ise don't' want a goil here. They just don't fit in. She's gonna make our lives miserable demanding that wes treat her different." Brownoser was uncharacteristically blunt.  
  
"No she won't. This here goil sold 100 papes before lunch, soaked the Delancey brudders stood up to Jack Kelly and demands that wes treats her like wes treats ourselves."  
  
The guys looked at Spot in shock. "Then why are youse letting her sleep in your room?"  
"Cuz she's a goil and Ise don't need youse to start picking on her. Plus she needs a place to escape to."   
  
That effectively ended the questions for the night. And the guys started to get ready for bed. Suddenly a scream broke through the din. "What was that?" Bait looked around his eyes round with fear, expecting someone to fes up. Another scream was heard followed by "Stop get off me, oh please help, get off me."   
  
Spot quickly realized the screams were coming from where Kit was sleeping and she sounded like she was being attacked. He, along with a couple others, rushed to the doorway.  



	3. Baltimore Dreaming

As Spot pulled the curtain aside another scream came from the bed. One of the other guys quickly lit a candle and brought it to him. All the guys prepared for a fight and were surprised to find that there was no intruder. In fact no one was there except for Kit, who was struggling against some unseen force.   
  
"She must be dreaming about some thing awful. How youse gonna wake her?" Falcon queried of Spot with a look of fear on his face.  
  
"Ise guess Ise just gonna have to shake her." Spot was unsure, should Kit be woken up or should they let her sleep it out.  
  
"Spot Ise can't sleep with her screaming and carrying on." Jolly stated his eyes full of fear.  
  
Spot gathered himself together and went over to the bed. Kit was thrashing around fear evident on her face. He reached down barely touching her shoulder; "Kit wake up It's only a dream."  
  
Kit sat straight up with a final scream, causing everyone to jump, and Spot to hit his head on the bottom of the top bunk. Her chest heaved as she began to cry. Bait and Jolly came over to her, and climbed up on the bed. The two eight year-olds didn't know what was wrong, but they thought that they could help some how. Kit continued to cry not noticing anyone around her. The dream still clouded her mind. She felt two pairs of small arms come round her waist. "Kit are youse okay? Did someone scare youse again? Why are youse so scared?" Bait's voice broke through her brain; she reached out for the little boys wiping away her tears and theirs.  
  
"I am sorry I scared you. I was just having a bad dream." She looked up and saw the other gathered in the door. "I am fine now, you guys can go back to bed." They all turned and returned to their beds. They were relieved that nothing had happened to her. Only Bait, Jolly and Spot stayed.   
  
"What was the dream about?" Jolly sat looking at her.  
  
"Nothing, I barely remember it." Kit lied but the little boys believed her.   
Bait then yawned and it spread to Jolly. Kit smiled and gave them a look. "You two should go to bed." They claimed they were fine and that she needed them. She assured them she was fine and while they were hesitant they left to go to sleep, but not after continually asking if she was sure. They claimed the bunk next to the doorway, so that they could be there if she needed them, so they said.   
  
"You aren't gonna leave are you?" Kit turned to Spot who had sat at the head of the bed after hitting his head.  
  
"No some ting is going on. Bait asked if some one scared youse again. This has happened before?"  
"During the rally Cray came up behind me as we were playing in the water and scared me pretty bad. Bait and Jolly saw it happen. That must have been what he was referring to."  
  
"So what was the dream about? Ise figure it had to be bad, youse still pale. Youse want to tell me about it?"  
  
Kit shivered remember her dream. "It starts out bad, I am wandering the streets lost when these two hands reach out and grab me covering my mouth. I struggle and scream to no avail. This face appears in front of me and suddenly I am floating, but the hands grab me again and this time they cover my eyes while another set of hands start to touch me, pulling at my hair and clothes. As I start screaming for help the hands cover my mouth and I can't breath. I am being raped again. All the smells, feelings, and sounds come back the heavy breathing.   
  
I open my eyes and my attacker's face appears it is Chair, then it changes and it was Buddha, then it changes again and it is Jack. The face would change but what was happening stayed the same. At the end Jack got up and said I deserved this for leaving, then he slapped me around. Then some of the other join in. just as they start I woke up."  
  
Spot was silent. Kit leaned against him for support. And his arm went around her. She closed her eyes, "Thanks for listening." And was asleep before Spot realized it.  
  
"Kit?" Spot softly called out her name; she barely stirred. He smiled and attempted to get up. Kit moved closer and gripped his shirt not letting go. He moved again, and Kit clung tighter. She wasn't going to let go and he was getting tired. The only thing he could think of was to scoot down and sleep. He knew that he wasn't going to hear the end of this. But that was his last thought as he fell asleep.  



	4. Coney Island

That night in Brooklyn went peacefully, Kit had no more dreams good or bad. She slowly woke up moving closer to the warmth. She opened her eyes as she sat up stretching. "Good morning Kit, sleep better?" Spot was in her bed?!   
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Youse had a night mare, Ise came to wake youse up, and as youse fell back to sleep you wouldn't let me go. So Ise slept here."  
  
"Oh" Kit blushed but anything else she was going to say was lost as Bait and Jolly entered the room. "Kit, Kit do youse want to sell with me and Bait?"   
  
Jolly was bouncing up and down as he climbed on the bed. Kit grabbed him and started to tickle him. "Yes I'll go out with you, if you stop bouncing."   
  
She had him laughing crazily, so much so that Kit didn't notice Spot till he was tickling her. That started a tickle war till Rounder came in.  
  
"Youse gonna actually sell papes today Spot?" He tried to act like it was normal to find Spot in bed with a girl and the two younger boys.  
  
Spot untangled himself from the pile "Yeah come on guys Kit needs to get dressed. See youse in five minutes Kit. There might be some old clothes in that box over there if you stuff ain't dry yet." Spot pointed at a box then gathered the two boys up by their waists and left.   
  
Kit felt the clothes she had laid out last night; they were dry. She quickly dressed not thinking of what had happened last night. She was standing out side of her doorway waiting for her selling partners when they came of the washroom, hair still a mess. Kit couldn't resist mothering them and she took Bait and Jolly off to the side as the older guys walked past, and straightened their messed hair.  
  
"So where are you gonna sell?" She noticed the boys' eyes were shining with the kind of mischief only little boys could get into trying to be good.  
"Wes sell over at Coney Island all the time." Bait answered.  
  
"Yeah wes do, then wes get to see all the neat stuff after wes get done." Jolly interjected.  
"Well then we better get going, the big guys might get all our papes before we get there."  
  
"Nope Spot gets our papes for us and then wes pay him back. Wes supposed to meet him outside now." Bait jumped up and down impatiently. "Come on he's probably already waiting."  
  
Kit was cautious, "Is he going to come with us?"  
  
"No he jus walks us there and gets us like he always does, cause he sells close to the bridge." They got outside before Spot arrived so they sat on the stairs and waited.  
  
"So what is your favorite thing to do at Coney Island?"  
  
"Ise likes the side shows." Jolly answered as he rolled a marble in his hand.   
  
Bait was suddenly shy, "Ise like watching the street people as they do their stunts. There's this guy who paints really pretty pictures and he's fun to watch."  
  
"Youse ready to go selling?" Spot came walking up and handed Kit 75 papes. "Here is 45 for youse and 15 for each of the boys. The papes should go quick, these two could sell a lot if they put their minds to it. Plus no ones gonna not buy from poor siblings."  
"Siblings? US?" Kit gave Spot a look as they walked.  
  
"Youse siblings. There be Coney Island, don't let these two jokers play till after they done working. And youse two, youse got a keep Kit here safe. Either of youse sees anyone suspicions like come get one of the big guys got it? Youse know where everyone sells."   
  
Both boys nodded seriously, and Kit smiled knowing that they would feel important getting to make sure she was okay. "Bye Spot we'll be fine, go do your think and we'll do ours." Kit was ready to leave Spot behind and start working. Spot nodded and waved and disappeared into the crowd.   
  
"So what do the headlines say Kit?" Bait looked at her expectantly.   
  
"Can't you read? Either of you?"  
  
Both boys shook their heads, "No, Spot normally tells us what they say for he leaves."  
  
Kit thought about that, "Well we'll just have to teach you to read soon. Let's see, nope, nope not gonna sell with that one." Kit perused the paper looking for an interesting story. "Hmm this one will probably work, if we sell in the right place. "Babies born joined at hip, it's from the Bronx."   
  
"Must be the water, that happened a couple years ago too." Jolly informed Kit.   
  
"Really well I think that will be the selling headline today, now for the perfect place to sell. I say the freak show will probably be the best place to sell. What do you guys think?"  
They nodded their heads enthusiastically and so began the day of selling.  
  
"Baby joined at Chest. Read all about it." "Doctors amazed at babies joined at the chest." On and on the day went Kit hawked the headlines while Jolly and Bait worked the "Buy me last pape mister?" angle, along with standing beside Kit grabbing her skirt and gaining sympathy for looking young.  
  
They stopped around one to eat lunch. Kit treated the boys to a famous Coney Island Hot Dog and some lemonade. After lunch the papers sold well and they were finished around 4. They had a couple of hours before Spot would return so they began to wander. The first thing they came to the Ferris Wheel that Jolly liked so much.   
  
"Mister how much for a ride?"  
"A cent for all of youse."  
"You guys want a ride."   
  
Jolly nodded but Bait hung back looking nervous, "Youse sure its not gonna come crashing down?"  
"Yes Bait it won't come crashing down, you can sit next to me if you want."  
"I'm not scared, I'll go."  
  
They all got in the basket and prepared to go up. Jolly was standing at the edge but Bait was sitting on the seat next to Kit. "Bait youse should see this Ise can see lots of stuff."  
"Ise happy here. Kit wen this done?"  
"Soon, I am sure, it isn't that bad."  
  
Kit was right the ride ended not long after words, Bait got off carefully and was relieved he was back on the ground. "Can was go do some thing else?"  
"Sure what do you want to see?"  
"The freak show." Bait smiled showing his teeth off.  
  
"I should have known, it's almost time to meet Spot anyway and that is near where we are meeting him." They went back to the side show tent.   
  
When they got there the ticked seller motioned them over. "Youse want to go in?" The boys nodded, but Kit looked at him "How much?"   
  
"It's free, youse brought use money by selling papes with that headline. Prepared to be amazed." He opened the tent and they all went in.  
  
Jolly and Bait found all the sights very cool but Kit fought to keep from heaving. The large cockroaches and the two headed sheep about made her sick and would be giving her nightmares. The boys wanted to see the bearded lady and the short men, so they went there last. Kit felt sorry for the performers but as the little boys are they stared and kept asking Kit if they were real. Kit nodded and began herding the boys out of the tent.  



	5. You said What

Spot was leaning against a light post as when they exited the tent. "You been waiting long?" Kit asked when they got over to him.  
  
He shook his head "Nah the ticket seller told me where my goil and her brudders were, in the tent."  
"He called me your girl?"  
"Actually no he saw me hanging round and asked, so Ise told him Ise looking for me goil and hur brudders."   
  
The look that Kit sent him would have turned water to ice and game him a pause, "I am not your girl."   
"Ise know, but if Ise say I was waiting for three newsies Ise think he would of called the Bulls."  
  
Kit didn't look convinced but continued to walk with the guys. The boys began to tell Spot of their day. Being excited, as they were Kit didn't have to say much. Jolly pulled on her hand after both were finished with their stories, "Kit youse really gonna teach us to read?"  
  
"Yes if you want to learn I'll teach you."  
"When?"  
"How bout tonight when we get back? You still have a left over pape?"  
"Yep," Jolly turned to his friend, "Guess what Kit says she would teach us to read tonight."  
  
"Cool race youse back to the boarding house." Bait called out as he began running.  
"Cheater, wait for me." Jolly bellowed as he followed, leaving Kit and Spot to by themselves.  
"Youse really gonna teach them to read?"  
  
"Yes, they need to be able to read the headlines if they are gonna sell them. You can't always tell them the headlines." She looked at him accusingly.  
"Youse mad ain't you? Ise sorry for telling that guy that youse me goil."  
  
"Yeah I am mad that you said that. You could have said I was your sister or something."  
"Ise didn't think of that. So youse think the boys can learn to read?"  
"Yes it isn't that hard."   
  
They reached the boarding house then and after signing in went up stairs. Jolly and Bait were waiting with a newspaper in hand. "You guys are ready aren't you?"  
"Yep" Kit and the boys sat on an open bunk and she began to point out letters and their sounds. Both boys picked it up pretty quickly and were reading small words by the time they began yawning. "That's all for tonight, you go get ready for bed."  
  
She stood up and stretched as they went off to get changed. "Kit youse want to play poker?" Rounder called from the circle on the floor.  
"I have never played before, but sure if you guys want to teach me, I'll play." She came and sat on the floor. The guys explained the basics, and some of the rules. The dealer, a sober guy and answering to the name Sticks, dealt the hands to Spot, Rounder, Brownoser and Kit, all picked up their cards. Kit caught on after a couple of hands, and was able to win a couple of smaller pots.   
  
On the last hand Kit looked at her cards, she had the Jacks of hearts and spades, the Queen of Diamonds and the tens of Diamonds and clubs. She decided to go for a full house and threw out the Queen, gaining a 10 of spades. She had gained a good poker face as the night went on and was able to keep the emotions off her face. The pot rose quickly to a dollar when Rounder and Brownoser folded. The poker faces of Spot and Sticks were impeccable. At a $1.10 Sticks folded. And at $1.25 Spot decided it was time to call. He had a pair of aces and a pair of 6's. He reached for the pot but Kit stopped him buy starting to lay down her cards. The full house beat his two pairs and she gathered her winnings, thanking the guys as she headed to bed.  
  
Spot decided checked on Kit before he went to bed and she seemed fine. Everyone had been asleep when a scream woke the room.  
"Not again, Spot can't youse keep her quiet?" Falcon complained from his bunk.  
  
"Ise go check on her." Spot climbed out of his bed and pulled on a pair of pants. As he stepped into the room it was obvious that Kit was in the middle of another nightmare. He sat on the bed and tried to awaken her. She opened her eyes, full of fear and looking about 5 years younger. Spot put his arms around her whispering to her in a calming tone.   
It seemed to work as she fell back to sleep. He got up and left, but as he got to the doorway, he heard her beginning to struggle again. Then it clicked, Kit knew she was by herself and that triggered the nightmare.   
  
"Kit come on wake up youse need to wake up. Ise need to sleep and youse can't be getting good sleep. Wake up."  
Kit woke up then, looking around nervously, "Is he gone?"  
"Is who gone? Kit it's me Spot. There's no one here but me. Ise need to go get some stuff then Ise be back okay?"  
Kit just sat there and nodded, "Okay."  
Spot went and got the blanket and pillow off his bunk and grabbed his clothes before heading back. "Kit what is going on?"  
  
"It was just a bad dream, nothing more." Kit didn't want to talk about it, "I want to sleep, Night." She curled up on her side.  
  
Spot sighed then climbed up on the top bunk figuring that he could hear Kit if she was dreaming again before she woke the rest of the bunkhouse. Morning came and brought Kosei up to wake the newsies. He stopped in Spots space first and was taken back by the fact that Spot wasn't in his regular bed a girl was. He had heard the scream last night but had thought it was one of the younger boys. He didn't expect to for a girl sleeping in his lodging house.  
  
"Spot Conlon wake up. Youse friend here ain't supposed to be here. Youse know that."  
  
"Huh?" Spot slowly woke, "Me friend? Oh Kit. She's only gonna be here till the end of the week."  
  
Kosei nodded but said, "She can't stay, out there, there's 25 guys most old enough to   
have goils, Ise can't let her stay. Wake her up," Kosei headed for the door, and called out into the bunkroom "It's time to go hawk the headlines."  



	6. Let't Talk About You

After Kit and Spot had left Mills had no idea what to do. While crying had helped a bit it wasn't a total catharsis for the pain. She then remembered the project she had been working on. She pulled a ball of yarn and a needle from under her pillow. This was probably the best thing she could do, this being crocheting. She had been working on a scarf for a couple of months, ever since Medda had given her the ball of grayish brown yarn. Medda had seen that Mills had been bored one night while the guys were enthralled by her performance so she gave Mills some yarn and said to work on that the nights the guys came over. The color wasn't one that Mills would have picked but it was thick and would be warm come winter.  
  
Mills had almost finished, but she hadn't been able to work on it for a while because of how busy she had been, plus the guys had stopped going to Medda's as a large group. Her mother had taught her how to knit, crotchet and do some needle work before her death when Mills was eight. Mills had begun to use what she had been taught not only as a way to relax but as a why to remember her mother. Mills held the scarf up; it wasn't pretty at all. The work was uneven, as she had only worked on it when it was dark or when she was tired as a way to avoid being teased by the guys.  
  
She sat back against the wall savoring the silence. Rarely was she given a respite from the constant noise that followed the guys. Even at night it wasn't uncommon for a card game to go on for hours or for one or two guys to be snoring. But at the moment it was almost silent, only the muffled noise of the street buzzing around the room like an angry fly was heard.  
  
After enjoying the silence for a bit she began to work on her scarf; quickly finishing off two rows. Half way through the next row, feet trudging up the stairs broke the silence. Cray entered the room and looked around. His shoulders slumped dejectedly as he saw his sister was gone. Mills cleared her throat. "Youse looking for Kit?"  
  
Cray jumped, "Oh I didn't see you, yeah."  
  
"Sorry, she and Spot left a while ago. She's gonna stay with him in Brooklyn." Mills saw the concern in Cray's eyes. "Spots a nice guy she'll be fine."  
  
"I guess so, but I just gonna worry about her since I just found her again, and now I lost her."  
  
"So youse staying here?"  
  
"Yeah" Cray climbed up on the bunk next to Mills, "So what are you hiding behind your back?"  
  
Mills pulled the scarf from behind her back, "Don't laugh it's a scarf."  
  
"Kit did that kind of stuff, Rose showed her how last winter, a for we came out here. Took Kit forever to figure it out. Rose, that's Swan's mom, decided that it was high time Kit learned more girl type stuff. She is still probably recovering from teaching her to cook, the dog wouldn't even touch the first couple of meals."  
  
Mills laughed, "Medda's been after me about that sort of thing, Ise guess Ise got the time to learn now."  
"Medda you ma?"  
"No, Medda isn't me ma, me ma died on the trip over. Wes come here to get out of Ireland."  
  
Cray sat back in disbelief, "You're Irish?"  
"Youse got a problem with that?"  
"No of course not. I just thought all Irish people had red hair and green eyes."  
"Not all of us do." Mills gave him a dirty look.  
"Sorry, so how did you get started as a newsie?"  
  
"Ise ten when me Pa died in a factory fire. We had to move in with our uncle and aunt but they couldn't keep us very long and after about a year they said that they were going to give me sisters and brudder to an orphanage. We left then and me brudder, Shawn, tried to keep our family together but trying to support five people ain't easy and wes ends up in the streets. Wes spent most of our time running from the Bulls. And since Irish can't find work here too easy, Shawn took our little brudder and sisters to Boston, only they didn't make it. The train they were on derailed and they died.   
Ise only survived on the streets for about six months to be put into the Refuge. Ise had to work in a clothing factory. When Ise turned 15 they decided Ise earned some freedom, so Ise took that freedom and ran. Ise stole some boy's clothes from a line and cut my hair really short. Ise literally ran into Race and Mush on that first day. They offered me a job thinking I was a boy.   
Kloppman figured it out pretty quick that Ise a goil but kept quiet cause he felt sorry for me. Ise here for about six months before it became apparent Ise not a guy. Ise still go to Medda's about once a month for some goil time. By that time though Ise proved me self to the guys so they allowed me to stay. Mills has been what they called me since Ise showed up.  
At times Ise has to think about what me name really is, it's Kaitlyn by the way. Only Medda calls me that, but even she calls me Katie." Mills got a wistful look on her face, "Ise wish that someone would call me Kaitlyn or even Katie goil like me the did before he died."  
  
"I'll call you Kaitlyn if you want. I think it is a pretty name." Cray ducked his head and blushed furiously, embarrassed that he had said the last part out loud.  
  
Mills smiled, "Thank youse, Ise like that, but not when everyone else is around. So how did youse get Cray?"   
  
Cray just smiled, "It was cause Kit couldn't say my name when she was little, Crale. Cray is so close though that even me pa and ma call me Cray unless they are mad."  
  
Mills looked confused, "Ise taught that Swan said that you got it cause of a crayfish and a water fight. Least that's what Les said."  
  
Cray laughed as he shook his head, "I'll never live this down will I? Well I'll never forget the water fight either. I got Cray as a nickname among my friends when the newsies in Lincoln decided to have a camping trip to the river before school started up again. Kit and I were still in school at the time and she had just spent her first summer being a newsie. Well that summer had been really hot and dry so the Platte was only about a foot deep and flowing slow.   
So all of us hiked out to the river and someone got the bright idea to go swimming. I, of course, had the pleasure of making sure Kit didn't get into to much trouble, but she was 7 or 8, and she could cause more trouble than any of those guys. Well as I was busy with her Swan came up behind me and splashed me. I turned around to retaliate but I missed Swan and got someone else, which is when the war erupted.   
Well it went on for some time, and some how in my maneuvering to get Kit back to the shore a crayfish found my toe. I started screaming and it stopped the water fight as every one turned to watch me jump and down. That is how Cray stuck, see not many newsies in Lincoln had nicknames I was one of the lucky ones."  
  
"Which one do youse prefer?" Mills was smiling at the image of anyone as big as Cray jumping up in down in the water cause of a fish.   
  
"Either, I've been called both for so long that I don't really care either way."  
  
Mills was giggling, "So youse hungry Cray? Ise bet if wes went to Medda's wes could get some ting to eat."  
  
"I was just gonna ask what's for dinner round here."  
  
Mills jumped off the bunk and Cray followed, "Come on Ise bet that's were everyone is."   
They left and headed for Medda's. Mills was right in her bet, all the newsies were sitting around in the wings watching the show. Medda ended up enchanting both Swan and Cray by the end of the night. As everyone headed back to the lodging house they were subdued and sleepy. Not even a poker game was started. Everyone fell into bed and was asleep before curfew.  



	7. Job Offer's Galore

The next morning in Manhattan brought much of the same boredom that was getting to be normal. Jack suggested that they head over to Medda's to watch her practice. Most of everyone agreed out of sheer boredom even Mills. Going to Medda's Cray and Mills walked together chit chatting about nothing. Swan walked with Jack, Race, Kid Blink and David.   
  
"Jack what are we gonna do about Brooklyn?"   
"Ise don't know David wes can't jus loose kids to them."  
"But the only person going over there is Kit."  
"Sure, but more might go if was don't do any thing."  
  
"Why don't wes jus say that the border with Brooklyn be closed?" David suggested after thinking for a bit.  
"Don't matter much, right now wes got to get in." The newsies filed in and got seated around the stage, except for Cray who went off by himself. Medda was practicing but stopped when they entered.  
  
"So Kelly you are going to start to make a habit of this now?"  
  
"But of course Medda you know we are over here every chance we get." The rest of the newsies nodded.   
  
Medda waved for them to sit down then motioned for Mills "Katie, hunny, I need to talk to you for a second. Gentlemen." She nodded at the boys who were in the process of making themselves comfortable. Then took Mills back stage with her. "Katie girl I am in an awful fix my seamstress just up and left me high and dry I have all of these costumes to fix right and I just don't have enough hands. Would you mind filling in till I can find someone else? I'll pay you 50 cents a day."  
  
Mills' eyes got huge "50 cents? Sure Ise can do that. Youse want help with the cleaning or you hair?"  
  
"Oh you are so sweet, but no thankfully my maid hasn't run off with your cousin yet."   
"Do youse need a bouncer then too?" Mills was curious.  
  
"Now that you mention it, I do. You have anyone in mind?" Medda smiled at Mills, "You must since you asked."  
  
"Me friend Kit's brudders Cray and Swan, they both big and smart too."  
  
"Which one do you like?"   
  
"Cra-Ise mean Ise don't like either of them" Mills blushed furiously.  
  
"I think I'll hire Cray, if you wouldn't mind." Medda smiled at the thought of setting Mills up with someone and it sounded like she wouldn't mind Cray.  
  
"Ise go get him then to introduce youse." Mills didn't like the look in Medda's eyes.  
"That would be good. I like to know my people before I hire them."  
  
Mills went out front through the curtain on stage to find Cray. She spotted him over in the corner by himself. She clucked disapprovingly and jumped off the stage and walked over to him.   
  
She lowered her voice as she spoke "Hey big boy going my way?"  
Cray started talking before he looked up, "Sorry I'm taken, oh Mills it's you." Cray blushed then looked down.  
  
Mills dropped the lower tone. "Youse never said any thing about a goil." She tried to hide the disappointment.  
"I don't have one, yet anyway. You wanted something?" Cray looked sullen, swishing the liquid in his glass around.  
  
"Yeah, Medda has a question for youse come on." Mills tugged on his arm till he got up and lead him back stage.  
  
Medda came over to great them "You must be Cray. I really don't care for nicknames dear, what did your ma call you?"  
Cray swallowed, "Crale Joseph Oberg."  
  
"Well Crale Joseph, it's nice to meet you did I take it Katie has told you her name?"  
Cray nodded, "Yes ma'am, Kaitlyn. Should I call her Kaitlyn or Katie?"  
  
"Ise don't mind either." Mills spoke up.  
"It's up to you. Now I asked Katie if she knew anyone who needed a job and she suggested you and your brother."   
  
"Swan." Mills interjected.  
  
"Yes Swan, any way. I am offering you this job first. See two of my workers ran off together, my seamstress and a bouncer. I would like you to replace the bouncer. Your job would be to keep order, make sure the customers don't get too rowdy, throw them out when they do and to be a bodyguard for my self and my women. I'll pay you 50 cents a night."  
  
"Well Miss Medda, I have done this sort of work before so I would be happy to work for you. Do I need to go buy a suit or anything?"  
  
"I have a suit around her. You can wear that. Katie can alter it for you. Now go scoot and get to work, you start today." With that Medda went back on stage turning one last time, "Katie hun the clothes I needed fixed are in on the vanity. I'll be down in an hour or so."  
Mills tapped Cray's shoulder, "Come on Ise need to get you done before tonight."  



	8. So You Work For Medda

Mills led Cray into the main dressing room and found the suit on the rack. "Here go put this on so Ise can see how to alter it."  
"You want me to change right here?" Cray looked scandalized.  
  
"No there's a screen over there, change behind that. Just wear the pants first though we'll do this a bit at a time."  
  
Mills sat down picking through the thread and needles till she found what she was looking for. Cray came out wearing only the pants, holding them up by the waistband. She blew her hair out of her face and motioned for him to stand on a stool.  
  
"How did these fit?"  
"How do you think?"  
  
Mills reached for the pants around the waist and saw that another person could have easily fit in the extra room they afforded. "Ise guess Ise can take them apart at the seams and redo them that way. Hold still Ise got a measure you waist." She took a string and knotted one end then wrapped it around Cray's waist making a second knot at the spot where the two ends met. "Okay youse can go put on the jacked and you own pants. Toss those here when youse out of them." She sat back down and a pair of pants came flying at her.  
  
"There you go."  
"Thanks so much. Watch it or Ise make them tight."  
  
She reached for the scissors and began to take apart the seams. Realizing that she had only got one measurement she got ready to turn around when Cray called out. "I am coming out now. This jacket is huge."  
  
Mills couldn't help laughing Cray looked like a little kid playing with his father's good clothes the arms hung down past his wrists and the jacked was too large.  
  
"This is gonna be interesting. Stand up straight." She walked around him. "Ise need to take about 6 inches out of the back and off the shoulders and sleeves. Okay take it off. Ise need to work on this. Take off you pants too Ise forgot some measurements."  
  
"WHAT?! I need to take off my pants?"  
  
"Do youse want this to fit? Well den I need to take some measurements and Ise can't do it with you in pants."  
  
Cray grumbled but grudgingly agreed to it. So after Mills locked the door, he dropped his pants. "Okay this is gonna be embarrassing but wes don't have much of a choice."  
  
"You don't have to do this, I could just work in them pants the way they are."  
  
She glanced up at him, "What and have them round you feet? Ise sure that will just strike fear in the hearts of Medda's customers. Just stand still."  
  
Mills used more yarn to measure Cray's inseam, the length of his leg, and the circumference of his leg. She worked at making this as easy as possible but of course it wasn't. And both breathed a sigh of relief when it was done.  
  
"Kay youse can get dressed now. Ise just sit her and work on this."  
"You gonna need help with the other stuff?"  
"Youse can sew?"  
Cray blushed, "Yeah Kit wasn't the only one that Rose taught last winter."  
  
They sat down across from each other and Mills handed him one of the dresses. "Most of this stuff Ise think just needs some tears mended, any thing more just leave to me. So youse said that youse was taken."  
"I did? Oh that…well."  
  
"So youse don't have a goil?"  
"No I don't."  
"Too bad, youse seem to be a nice guy."  
  
Cray just blushed at that statement, while Mills decided she had said too much. She felt a little uncomfortable and decided she needed fresh air. "Cray Ise need asks Medda about some thing. Ise be back in a sec."  
  
Cray barely looked up from what he was doing, "Okay I'll be right here."  
  
She opened the door and walked out looking for Medda, not seeing where she was going   
and nearly collided with Swan. "Woah hold up there Mills. You seen Cray anywhere? I thought I saw him come back here, but I can't find him."  
  
"Cray? Oh he's in there. You seen Medda?" Mills was a bit flustered.  
  
"I'm right here dear." Medda entered from off the stage, "What do you need?"  
  
"Ise wondering the only suit Ise sees was this huge one. It's about two times too big for Crale. Youse wouldn't have some thing else, closer to him would you? Or do youse just want me to cut it down to his size?"  
  
"That big? Oh just cut it down. I am sure you can work wonders with it."  
"Thanks Medda, Youse ready to look over your dresses?"  
"They're done already?"  
  
"Yep Crale helped me with them."  
"Isn't that the sweetest thing."  
  
Medda came in to check on her dresses, most of which were now fixed. The holes were done so well that it was hard to see where the damage had been. She congratulated both Cray and Mills on their fine work and left again. Mills sat and worked on piecing together the suit. Cray had left with Medda but came in to check on Mills regularly bringing her food and something to drink at regular intervals. At around 4 Mills finished the suit and called Cray to come in and try it on. As he came out from behind the screen Mills couldn't help but be proud. It looked good.  
  
"Crale youse look great, how did it fit?"  
  
"Pretty good, not tight any where I must have not made you too angry."  
Mills giggled, "Nope well youse better get out there, Medda opens soon."  
  
Mills sat down to pick up a dress that they hadn't gotten too. She hadn't been working long when Jack stuck in his head.  
  
"Mills wes gonna leave now. Youse coming?"  
  
"Nah Ise stick round here, Cray's gonna need some one to walk him back. Ise catch youse guys later."  
"Fine Later little goilie."  
"Later old man."  



	9. A meeting

  
* Brooklyn *  
Spot woke the sleeping girl up and decided to go talk to Kosei maybe he could explain the situation better. He found Kosei and told him all that he knew about the situation, Kosei was reluctant, but finally agreed to let Kit stay, on a trial basis, if she caused trouble she was out. Spot then went and got the papes for the day and met Kit, Jolly and Bait outside.   
  
* Manhattan *  
Days fell into a routine in Manhattan Mills and Cray would stay out till late and come up the fire escape to get in. Most days they would sleep till 7 or 8, then leave. Paying for that night on their way out, heading down to Medda's to work. Mills usually got a couple hours of sleep extra while she waited for Cray to get off work, and Cray would sleep a couple of hours in the morning after they got to Medda's.   
  
The rest of the newsies spent their time trying to stay out of trouble but rarely succeeding. As the strike continued some of the strikers were getting bored and it became known that newsies were going to be their targets. It got to the point where none of the newsies traveled on their own and even then the newsies would end the day with more bruises and cuts then they had started it with. Some so serious that they wouldn't be able to leave bed till days later.   
  
* Brooklyn *  
Kit worked with Jolly and Bait again; the days followed a pattern that was set for them. Spot would walk with them to Coney Island. They would sell most days and be done around 6 or 7. They would then head back to the lodging house and she and the boys would begin to work on reading.  
  
The classes were going well so well in fact that other boys wanted to join in. Kit learned that while the newsies had a rudimentary knowledge of arithmetic, they had many gaps in their education, so to fix that she also began teaching math. Her tools were a deck of cards swiped from Falcon and left over papers from that they. Her classes normally had between 4 and 6 newsies and would run anywhere from a half an hour to two hours. After they left the lesson many times a poker game would be started with the deck of cards.   
  
As for the dreams they would return at night, but Spot was normally able to wake her up before she woke the entire bunkhouse. After the second week of dreams Spot moved himself to the floor next to Kit's bed, while the dreams didn't go away finally the began to come less frequently after she had been there for almost a month.  
  
* Manhattan*  
Three weeks into the strike and a week and a half after Jack closed the borders of Manhattan to Brooklyn Medda gave Mills and Cray the day off. "Go enjoy your self and your friends. Sleep what ever you want, I don't want to see you two around her till the day after tomorrow."  
  
As they walked a back to the lodging house Mills and Cray discussed how to spend their they off. "Ise think wes should go see Kit." Mills stated  
"I thought Jack had closed the borders."  
  
"Ise knows some ways to Brooklyn that Jack didn't think of. Plus no one enforces any thing as early as wes would leave. Wes can go and be back fore anyone would miss us."  
  
Cray was torn he wanted to see his sister but that meant risking his position in the newsies. His need to see his sister won out and he agreed. "Okay lets go, don't tell no one we got tomorrow off. That way we won't be noticed if we're gone to long. They made their plans as they kept going to the lodging house. Finally climbing the fire escape and going in the window.   
  
* Brooklyn *  
Kit was quickly welcome within the circle of Brooklyn newsies. Spot taught her to shoot a slingshot and even helped her make her own. She also began to pick up some of the New York accent that was around her. Her nights weren't only for teaching but she also would sew up holes and replace the buttons on the guy's clothes. She was content to a point but missed her brother and friends in Manhattan.   
  
* Manhattan *   
Mills and Cray agreed to wake up at their regular time, around 6. They were the first ones up because the newsies had taken to sleeping in because of the strike. After waking up Swan they were able to leave undetected. They hurried toward Brooklyn knowing that they didn't have much time till some one in Manhattan woke and saw them.   
Upon entering Brooklyn they were stopped by a tall look out with black hair and eyes. "What youse want here, Manhattan?"  
  
"Why hello Rounder dotcha recognize youse old pal Mills?"  
  
"Ise recognize youse but that's not what Ise asks. Nor do Ise recognize you friends here."  
  
"Well this here is Cray and Swan they was here a couple weeks ago with Kelly and Spot, dotcha remember. They here to see Kit. Cray is hur brudder."  
  
"Ise don't know a Kit." Rounder lied, testing both the boys and Mills.  
  
"She be the goil Spot brought back with him."   
"Oh her? She and Spot get along real good. Ise don't think he wants her socializing with the likes of youse."  
  
"Rounder this here is me, Mills O'Riely. Ise the one that broke that nose of yours and if youse ain't careful Ise gonna do it again."  
  
Rounder lost a bit of his bravo but quickly regained it back, "Youse follow me Ise go get Kit and see if she's up to visitors."   
Rounder led them through Brooklyn stopping at the main entrance to Coney Island. "Stay put Ise go talk to Kit an see if she's gonna talk to youse."  
The three Manhattaners felt a little conspicuous standing at the gate.  
  
  
As Kit was selling Rounder came up to her. "Kit two guys and a girl are looking for you. They came from Manhattan youse want to talk to them?"  
  
Kit barely hesitated, "Yes, bring them or youse can stay here with Bait and Jolly and I'll go find them."  
"No stay put, Ise bring them here."  
  
As Round went to get her visitors, Kit began bouncing on her feet. She was barely containing her excitement at the prospect of seeing her friends.   
  
Rounder returned after a bit, "Follow me, she's gonna see youse." They followed him in apprehensive that this might be a trap, but excited that they were gonna see Kit. Mills spotted her first and went off running.  



	10. Catching Up

After Rounder left. Kit waited anxiously, she hadn't seen her friends in almost a month. She wondered if they had come without anyone's knowledge or if this was a first step for reconciliation. Ever since she had left Manhattan the situation between Brooklyn and Manhattan had deteriorated to a near stand still. Hawk like eyes on both sides watched the borders between the boroughs. For Rounder to even let anyone in from Manhattan was unusual in and of itself.  
  
"KIT!" She turned around and there was Mills. They met and hugged. Until she had seen Mills she didn't realize how much she had missed them. As she looked up there were Cray and Swan. All began to talk in unison, which caused them all to laugh.   
  
Kit felt a tug on her sleeve and knelt down eye level with Bait. He looked worried as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Kit whose they? They come to take youse home?"  
Kit sat back on her heels before shaking her head no and standing up.   
"Guys I want to introduce you to some people. Cray, Swan Mills this is Bait, Jolly and the tall one is Roundhouse. Bait, Jolly, and Rounder this here is my best friend Swan, me brudder Cray and my first friend in New York Mills."  
  
Bait suddenly played shy and hid behind her leg but Jolly spoke up at the taller people. "Youse can't take Kit away. She's ain't done teaching me and Bait to read and write."  
  
Kit laughed, "Jolly I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. How many more papes do we have to sell?"  
  
Jolly held up the stack, "Bout 8."  
  
"Good why don't you and Bait go sell them then we'll head back to the bunk house."  
  
"Okay come on Bait." Jolly went running into the crowd.  
  
"Rounder can you go find Spot and tell him we're not going to sell the evening edition. And that wes going back to the bunk house?" Kit turned to the Brooklyn newsie who was standing sentry behind her.  
  
"Sure Kit, Ise tell him when the boys get back."  
  
"No you go tell him now, it's almost time for the afternoon edition and you don't need him ticked off at you if he finds out he didn't need to by extra papes." Rounder thought about it and after giving Swan and Cray threatening looks headed off to find Spot.  
  
"Is he always like that Kit?"  
"Only when they are concerned about me. They don't want to lose me I guess. So what are you up to?"  
  
Swan spoke up, "Nothing much nothings going on in Manhattan."  
Mills and Cray gave him a look, "Sure Swan. Well Cray and me been working for Medda."   
  
"Yep I am a bouncer. It's great."  
"That's cool so you supposed to be here?"  
"Well actually…"  
  
"Kit wes done selling here…" Jolly gave Kit 25 cents.  
"Jolly you had 10 papes at the most where did you get 25 cents?"  
"Bait got it cuz he found a ladies purse and gave it to hur."  
  
Kit smiled and gave Bait a hug, "Well then this 15 cents here is Bait's. Do you want me to hold on to it?" Bait nodded. "You ready to head back?"  
  
"Ise want to stay here and go do stuff." Jolly began to whine.  
"Kiddo if Kit says youse have to go den youse have to go." Spot came throwing Jolly over his shoulder. "Mills how did life in Manhattan?"  
  
"Spot it goes good, wish this strike would end though, the guys are getting lazy."  
"Ise bet, so what youse doing over on this side of the bridge?"  
  
"Just here to see Kit, make sure she's doing good." Mills shrugged.  
"So Kit what you been up to?" Cray slowed down to her pace, then knelt down to allow Bait to climb on his back.   
  
"I've been busy selling papers."  
"She's teaching me and Jolly how to read and write and do arithmetic." Bait stumbled over the last work.  
"And Kit's been sewing up me clothes so they be warm in the winter." Jolly called from his new perch on Spot's back.  
  
"Youse been real busy, youse do any thing for you self?" Mills questioned.  
"I enjoy the teaching part, but I have been learning poker and how to shoot with a slingshot. Swan it's much harder than shooting a rifle."  
"Youse only been here a month and already youse a Brooklyn newsies. Who would have thought." Mills exclaimed.  
  
As they continued down the street, the ragtag group made a spectacle. The two younger boys were on ridding piggyback on Spot and Cray's backs as they talked. Swan hung behind the guys not really talking to anyone. While Kit and Mills were falling farther and farther behind speaking back and forth giggling about anything and everything.  
  
"So Mills you and Cray are working together?"  
"Yeah youse got a nice brudder youse know that?"  
"Yep he is a nice guy. So what do you really think bout him?"  
  
Mills looked around and saw that the guys were far enough ahead so that they wouldn't hear, before she spoke, "Ise thinks he is pretty coo, and Ise wondering what kind of goil he normally goes for."  
"Girl he likes? He doesn't go after a certain type, unless you consider that they all annoy the heck out of me a type. I am sure that some they I'll like his girl just not at the moment. You like him like that?" Kit was curious. She sat down on the curb.  
  
"Ise think Ise might, but not like Ise want him to know. So how did liven with all these Brooklyn boys?"  
  
"They ain't that bad. I mean their tough, but they don't bug me too much. Up till last week I wasn't sure if they would let me stay at the lodging house. I'm surprised Spot still talks to me. I keeps waken him up at night cause of nightmares."  
  
"Nightmares, bout what happened in Bal'more?" Mills hurried to explain when she saw Kit's look of shock, "Cray told me about it. Youse don't mind do youse?"  
  
"No I am just surprised that's all. But yeah about that stuff."  
"Youse tell anyone here yet?"  
"No I just can't, they ain't like Cray or Swan. I don't want them to know."  
  
"Kit if youse been keeping them up don't youse think they need to know?"  
"Maybe if the dreams return I'll tell Spot."  
"Good, speaking of Spot, what's with him and youse?"  
  
Kit blushed, "Nothing we share the same set of bunks. That's all." She didn't mention that Spot had shared her bed a couple of times when the dreams had been really bad.  
"Uh huh, sure, Ise gotcha. Youse know those little boys are adorable."  
"Jolly and Bait? Yeah they are. You should see them at night they are so cute. You know they have been doing this since they were 6? Right after the strike Spot found them on the street wandering. So he brought them back and they get taken care of by the Brooklyn boys."  
  
"They seem to think the world of youse."  
  
"I love them to death, they can get into trouble a lot but they're never intentionally bad."  
"So they are 8?"  
"Yeah, we think they are twins."   
"They have real names?"  
  
"Not that they'll answer too but Spot says they used to call them Andrew and Christopher. I like Jolly and Bait better."  
  
"Ise figure Jolly got his named based on his laughing almost all the time. But what bout Bait?"  
"You know how it is easier to sell with little kids?"  
"Yeah they bring people in cause they feel sorry for the, we call them ba…OH cute."  
  
Kit glanced up at the clock on a bank front. "We better get going I bet the guys are frantic looking for us."  
"Spot protective of youse?"  
  
"Yeah I can walk to Coney Island just fine on my own, with the boys but he insists on coming with us. I don't even buy my own papes. Spot buys for us, and we pay him."  
  
"Now that's different."  
"I knows, Here's we are. Hey Kosei this is Mills she only staying for now."  
  
"Kitty youse know the guys are out looking for youse?"  
"Figures we'll stay up stairs if they come looking for us that's where we be."  
  
Kit and Mills when up the stairs and into Kit's room.  
"What's with the blanket?"  
"It's for my privacy."  
"Ise thought youse shared a bunk with Spot."  
  
"We do this one, he's got the top and I sleep on the bottom one."  
"Kit Youse up here?" Spot's voice cut off Mills as she had opened her mouth to comment.  
  
"Yeah Spot I'm up here. All safe and sound, no cuts or bruises. No one touched me."  
Spot came in followed by Swan, Jolly, Bait, and Cray. "If youse ain't careful, Ise might jus have to remedy that. What is the big idea running off like that."  
  
"Running off? Seems to me that we got left behind by you guys. Ain't that right Mills?"  
"Yep wes got left behind so don't go yelling at us bout it."  
"Kit do wes get a lesson tonight?" Bait come over to her.  
"I don't think tonight squirt. I want ta spend time with Mills, Cray and Swan. Unless Spot wants to teach you, tonight is gonna be off."  
  
All other conversations were cut off and flew out the window by Falcon coming in and his announcement. "Spot Jack Kelly's coming this way and he ain't happy. Says youse two gots to talk."  



	11. Rumble in Brooklyn

"Falcon, Ise wants Bait Jolly and Kit outta here. Take's them to you sister's. Mills, Cray, and Swan gets out this don't concern youse. Ise gonna let Kelly and three of his guys in here. Keep the rest out." Spot began directing.   
  
"Hold it. Get your hands off me Falcon. Spot Conlon I am staying right here. Some ones got ta keep you from killing each other."  
"No Kit youse going to Falcon's sister's."  
  
"No I ain't. Kelly's here cuz Cray, Mills and Swan came here to see me. They wouldn't be her if it wasn't for me. This is my fight and I am staying. You can't fight my fight with out me being here."  
  
"Fine Ise won't fight you, but youse stay up there," He pointed to his bed, "unless Ise say different. Falcon take the boys outta here. Then get back here. Youse and Rounder is gonna be in here with Kit. Make sure Kelly knows its just him and three others. Shuffles get in here."  
  
"What Spot?"  
"Ise want this stuff outta here. Put is in the wash room. Den youse are to keep everyone but Falcon, Rounder, me Kit and Kelly and his three guys outta here."  
"Kay Spot, youse heard him get this all outta here."  
  
The last of the stuff had been moved when Brownoser came up, "Spot they's here."  
The room became quiet as the Brooklyn newsies waited for Spot to make his move.  
  
"Okay Kit youse want ta be part of this come with me. Rounder, Falcon, let's go."  
  
They descended the stares as a whole, no words exchanged. Not a sound was heard except the feet on the wooden stairs. Spot went first, followed by Kit, Falcon and Roundhouse. The rest of the newsies followed, they went outside to meet Kelly and the Manhattan newsies.  
"Kelly"   
"Spot"  
"Was this bout? What youse doing in Brooklyn?"  
"Ise here to collect my newsies."  
  
Spot glanced into the group of Manhattan newsies and saw Cray, Swan and Mills standing toward the middle. "Well Ise believe they be with youse now."  
  
Kelly shook his head, "No Kit there is one of my newsies, she's got ta come too."  
Spot looked at Jack in amazement, "Kelly youse kicked her out. She's a Brooklyn newsie now."  
"Only cuz youse let her sell in here."  
  
A look of realization came over Spot's face, "No cuz wes made her one of us. But that's not what's bugging youse is it? Its cuz wes been selling papes. This ain't for discussing out in the open, wes gonna take this inside. Kelly choose three of youse guys to com in with youse. The rest can either stay out here's or in the bunkroom. Discuss it amongst youse selves."  
  
The Manhattan newsies went up the street a bit leaving the Brooklyn newsies alone.  
Kit spoke quietly to Spot, "Spot."  
"What Kit?"  
"I've been having this dream bout this."  
"Oh and what happens?"  
"You die."  
Spot gulped, "Ise die?"  
Kit kept her head down, "Yes that's why I stayed, someone has a gun and they shoot you. But I don't know who."  
  
"Wes start now in finding out." Spot turned sideways, but never put his back to the Manhattan gathering, "Alright youse, wes don't want this to be an unfair fight. Manhattan can only fight with their hands, so all the weapons got ta be given to Kosei."  
"What bout Manhattan?"  
"If they got some they go to Kosei too."  
  
Jack came up just then, "Okay Conlon, Ise got my guys let's go."  
"First wes don't want any ones dying so wes says that all weapons are left at the desk with Kosei."  
"Why should wes leave our selves unprotected when youse got's weapons."  
"Wes gonna turn in ours in too. Ise gonna put Brownoser and Lines in charge of making sure the weapons get left."  
"Ise put Mush and Race here too."  
  
Spot and Jack stepped through the door and up to Kosei's desk. "Kosei? Ise need youse to do me a favor and hold on to this here stuff for me till Manhattan leaves." Spot placed his slingshot on the counter, "Do youse mind holding the rest of the guys stuff too?"  
  
Kosei didn't want trouble and saw this as a good way to avoid any lasting harm, and agreed. After Jack and Spot placed down the weapons they had, the group that would be in the room with the leaders, David, Kid Blink, Skittery, Falcon, Rounder and Kit placed assorted slingshots, marbles, a knife, and Kit's hair pin, on protest that it had a sharp tip.  
  
They then went up stairs, the clunks of other weapons dropping going the counter in their ears. Kit stayed as close to Rounder as she could not knowing what to expect as they entered the little room that she had called home for the past month. At Kosei's word that all the weapons had been collected, Falcon dropped the curtain and the discussion began.   
  
As the small group of eight found their seats Spots look told Kit to get up on the bunk.   
"Why's she here? Youse not got any guys to come up here with youse?" Kelly taunted.  
"No she's here cuz as youse said its all bout her and she deserves to be here." Spot began to wonder why he had even let this meeting happen, at the very least why he had let Kit into the room. Nothing was going to be settled if she was there, he was about to tell her to leave when Jack spoke up again.  
  
"Wes never let goils in here before. She can't be here it ain't her right."  
"This is different, Ise agree, but this is Kit's life she's got ta right to get a say in What happens in it. If youse take her from here she's just gonna leave her friends behind."   
  
"She's left friends behind already an she's coming back to friends."  
"David, is the strike over yet?" Kit decided to speak for herself.  
"No it ain't," Jack spoke up thinking it was a stupid question.  
  
"Then, Jack, I am not going back, I will not sit around in a bunk room avoiding going outside cause of two thugs with too much time on there hands. I am staying in Brooklyn." She jumped off the bunk and came right up to Jack glaring with her hands on her hips, "Listen to me Kelly. I ain't leaving If youse try to take me back, you going to have ta keep me tied to someone cuz I will run back as soon as I can." She turned around and went to stand nearer to Spot.  
  
"What bout youse friends and brudder. They want to see youse and they can't do that if youse here." Jack grasped at straws trying to win using logic.  
  
Kit raised an eyebrow, "They can too, they were here all they. I would say they can come here to see me."  
  
Jack was silent she had backed him into a corner. If he agreed with her this would be pointless. If he disagreed it would show he was unable to control his newsies in an effective manner.  
  
"Ways youse so intent on taken back with youse?" Falcon asked, "She might be a goil but she's got ta mind of her own. Which Ise sees she speaks regularly. Ise think youse want ta get rid of her." Falcon smiled knowing, waiting for Kit's reaction, which was a smack. "See, she's got no respect."  
  
"Wes need her. She sells better then a lot of us." David replied.  
  
"Wouldn't that be even more reason for me to stay? Not that it means anything cause I am not leaving. You guys are here cuz of border wars I thought." Kit decided it was time for the guys to talk about what the original reason was for Manhattan to come to Brooklyn.   
  
"For once she's making sense," Rounder spoke earning his smack from Kit.  
  
"Spot some of youse Brooklyn newsies are getting to adventurous, and been coming to Manhattan and selling papes there. Ise don't like it wen wes ain't striking and Ise don't like it now. Some of the thugs think they be ours and my guys is getting soaked for it."  
  
Spot thought about this for a second, going through his guys who would be stupid enough to cross the bridge without permission, and came up with three guys, Trickster, Spikes, and Booker. "Ise think Ise knows who they are, Ise take care of them. Same goes for youse newsies, Ise heard a couple of them have been over here selling papes."  
  
Kelly knew who those where, "Ise knows them, they won't be over here anymore. Now bout Kit."  
  
"She's not leaven her unless she wants too." Spot crossed his arms.  
"Ise not gonna make her. Ise gonna say that Ise don't mind Swan and Cray coming over here but Ise don't like the idea of Mills coming over here on her own."  
  
Kit turned to Jack with a blank look on her face but with her eyes flashing, "Fine then Mills will come over with Cray then. Now this is my room and I want to sleep I am kicking everyone out."   
  
Spot, Falcon and Rounder smirked at the Manhattan boys expression and because Kit normally used that tone with Bait and Jolly. "Wes better leave, she's just gonna get ready for bed if wes here or not." Spot lead everyone out, but stopped at the door. "Kit, youse did a good job keeping this from getting ugly. Don't let is go to youse head. Ise be in later, Ise gonna play poker. Ise try not ta wake youse up."   
  
"Beat it Spot, or I'm gonna to start throwing things at your big head." Spot left and Kit smiled as she got ready for bed.  



	12. An Understanding Reached

Kit leaned down to blow out her candle when a knock on the doorframe interrupted her. "Who is it and what do you want?"  
"It's Cray and Swan, can we come in?"  
"Sure sorry bout that but I am about ready to go to bed."  
  
"Oh well, we hadn't gotten a chance to talk, but if you want to sleep we'll go." Swan moved for the door.  
"No you can stay, I just am a bit tired. Sit we can talk. So how have you been?"  
"I have been good. Enjoying my job."   
Kit interrupted, "I bet."   
  
Cray threw Kit a look, "I could use some sleep though, the late nights are hard." Cray sat on the edge of Kit's bed.  
"I am good too, what about you?" Swan asked he had always been "in tune" with Kit more than Cray.  
  
Kit blinked her eyes as an attempt to stay awake as she answered, "Pretty good, I've had some nightmares that have woken me up. But Spot has been here and can keep them away."   
  
Cray looked concerned, "How has he been here and how does he keep them away?"  
Through a yawn Kit answered, "He sleeps with me."   
Cray stood up, "He WHAT?"  
"Sleeps with me, in here on the top bunk. He hears me if I am dreaming and is able to wake me up before I wake everyone else up."  
  
"So you don't sleep in the same bed?" Cray calmed down, while Swan began breathing again.  
"No, not normally. He sleeps on the top bunk mostly. He only sleeps with me a couple times when I can't sleep after a nightmare." Kit spoke with her eyes closed so she could not see the reaction her answers had. "He is nice, and has been the perfect gentleman. If he's here I don't have as many nightmares." She yawned again. "Mills thinks I should tell Spot bout Bal'more." She opened her eyes and gave Cray a disapproving look, "you weren't supposed to tell." Her eyes closed again, "I think he's…" she fell asleep mid sentence.  
  
Cray looked over, "Kit, he's what? Kit hun? Oh she's sleeping come on Swan." He moved off the bed and motioned that Swan should blow out the candle. They stood outside the door talking about Kit and Spot.  
  
"So Cray what we gonna do?"  
"We find Spot and talk to him. He needs to know that she's got two brudders ready to hurt him if he hurts her." Cray spoke as he searched the room for Spot.  
  
He found Spot in the middle of a poker game, which he was winning. Cray came up to stand on the edge of the circle, waiting for the hand to end. "Cray, man you want to join?" Race noticed Cray first.  
  
"Nah actually Spot can I get a word with you?"  
Spot looked up and then turned back to the game, "Ise out" He gathered up the money he had won and left the circle. "What youse need to talk bout, Ise had that hand won hands down."  
  
"You could have finished the hand. I wanted to talk about your relationship to Kit."  
"My relationship with Kit? Wes friends there is no relationship." Spot got defensive, "Whose says that we had a relationship?"  
  
"No one has said anything, but I am concerned that she's gonna think there is." Cray's face turned stony. "I don't want her hurt again."  
"Hurt her? Ise ain't gonna hurt her."  
"Good I don't want to hear bout it. She's my sister and I will do anything" he stressed 'anything' "to keep her safe."   
  
"Well Ise don't like being threatened. Ise got youse though and Ise glad that youse asked questions first before throwing the punches. Ise watch out for Kit. Ise make sure that no one hurts her."  
  
Cray leaned against a bunk. "That's what I wanted to hear, but like I said. I hear that she's been hurt an you will have two very angry siblings looking for you."  
"Siblings?" Sport raised his eyebrow.  
"Swan sees her as his little sister. He's jus as protective as I am."  
  
"Fine, don't get youse dander up." Spot stood back, "Wes done? Ise need ta sleep."  
  
Cray put an arm out to stop Spot from leaving, "You should know I don't like this part of what is going on. But since she seems to think that you being there keeps the dreams from returning I see why you're there. But I don't like it."  
  
"Youse gonna have to live with it. Ise not gonna change what is going on with her. She needs someone to be near wen these dreams come Ise that person."   
  
"I know, but I think you should ask why she needs someone to be there, and why you are that person."  
"Why Ise hear her says it ain't anything."  
"Ask again, her dreams are caused by something. She'll tell if you ask."  
"Youse don't know her that well do youse?" Ise been with her almost all they every they for a month, she ain't gonna jus tell me anything."  
  
"I think she will. I've know her almost since she was born trust me on this one." Cray straighten and put down his arm.   
"Cray wes leaven now, youse coming?" Mills came over and put her hand on Cray's arm.  
"Yeah see you Spot.""  
"Later Cray, Mills Ise say come back at any time but youse know…"  
  
"Yeah wes know." They turned and followed the rest of the Manhattan newsies out.  
Rounder cam up to Spot after they had left, "What that bout?"  
  
"Just a warning bout hurting Kit." Spot shrugged "Ise going to bed, see youse in the morning." With that Spot turned and went into the room he shared with Kit.  
  
"Kit Ise knows youse awake. Wes need to talk." Spot went over to the bunk and struck a match to light the candle.  
  
"What we gonna talk bout, I want to sleep." Kit sat up in her bunk.  
  
"What is with youse brudder, he comes an tells me that if youse gets hurt; he's gonna punch first and ask questions later."   
  
"I don't know. He likes to act like he's a bodyguard, both of them do." Kit shook her head.  
  
"Cray says youse have something to tell me about these nightmares. Ise remember the first night that dream was about youse getting raped again. When youse get raped? And Ise want to know what happened in Bal'more."   
  
Kit drew here legs up to her chest and laid her arms across her knees. "That's what happened in Bal'more. Some guys rapped me. I don't know who they were or remember anything that happened after till Philadelphia."  
  
"Ise see, this stuff is affecting you dreams then?" Spot sat down next to Kit.  
"Yeah probably."   
"Youse want me to stay down here tonight?"   
"I don't think so. I should be fine." Kit's voice sounded far away.  
  
"Well Ise her if youse change you mind." Spot blew out the candle and undressed climbing into the top bunk. He stared up at the ceiling waiting for Kit to fall asleep. His thoughts were chaotic as he tried to fall asleep. They tumbled over each other with none making sense.  
  
"Spot I can't sleep." Kit spoke softly.  
"Youse want me to sleep down there?" Spot wasn't sure about going down.  
"Do you mind? Just till I'm asleep." A note of fear crept into her voice.  
"Ise guess so." Spot climbed down and sat on the edge of the bed, "Ise gonna lay down."  
"Fine" Kit moved to the wall giving him room to lie down on the narrow bed. After he lay down Kit put her head on his shoulder and soon both had fallen asleep. That night no nightmares came, both slept through the night nothing or no one dared to disturb them.  



	13. Getting the Truth is like Pulling Teeth

When morning came Spot woke first. He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Kit. He then quickly dressed and went to stand outside the doorway. Most morning Jolly and Bait would go wake Kit but today Spot caught the boys before they could go in. "Did youse like Falcon sisters' house?"  
  
"Yes she gave us cookies and cake. When Shuffle game and got us she didn't want to us to leave." Jolly proceeded to tell Spot about their night.  
  
Bait pulled on Spot's arm "Is Kit okay? Can Ise go wake her?"  
  
Spot shook his head, "No Kit didn't have a good night last night. Wes gonna let her sleep. Com on wes gonna sell together." He led them out to go to the distribution docks of the Sun.   
  
"Who's the kids Conlon?" Cryder, the sun distribution manager pointed at the two kids.   
"This here is Jolly and Bait. Ise need 50 papes for me and 40 papes for the two of them."  
"Youse not selling the extra 35 papes youse normally get is youse?"  
"Dos thirty five papes normally go for these two's big sister, but she's sick today."  
"A goil sells papes?" Cryder looks skeptical.   
"Kit sells papes good. She sold 100 papes in a morning for." Jolly spoke up for Kit.  
"Don't matter, move long." Cryder dismissed the newsies.  
  
Spot led the boys down and out to the street. "Come on we have got papes to sell. Wes gonna sell close to the lodging house today."  
"Why" Bait looked up at Spot.  
"Kit ain't feeling good. Ise think wes should stick close to the lodging house incase she needs youse two."  
"Why don't she feel good?" Jolly pouted.  
"Cuz she don't. Youse can always not sell today." Spot was not going to take anything for the boys today. "Youse gonna fight me, or youse want to sell?"  
  
"Give me my papes Ise gonna go sell." Bait held out his arm to get his first batch. Which Spot gave him, sending him up the street. He then turned to Jolly, "Youse gonna sell?"  
  
Jolly shot a look after Bait then nodded. "Here go with Bait." After sending off the boys Spot began to sell his papers, calling out his improved headlines. Selling was steady and by the time they stopped for lunch they had sold three quarters of their papers.  
  
"Guys let's go check on Kit." The boys didn't even look back as they ran to the lodging house anxious to see Kit. They found her asleep. Spot put a finger to his lips as she went to wake her. "Kit time to wake up." The "go away" was muffled by her pillow. "Now Kit youse need to wake up Youse slept clean through the morning."  
  
"Go away. I'll get up later." Kit flipped her back to Spot and burrowed deeper into the blankets.  
"We can't have this" Spot threw back the top blanket and began to tickle Kit mercilessly. "Come on Kit wake up."  
  
"Fine…Stop…I'm awake…Please…stop." Kit choked out her sentence through her giggles.  
"Youse sure youse awake?"  
  
"No I am fast asleep and just pretending to be awake." Kit spoke as she sat up. "Now get outta here so I can change."  
  
Spot left at her request taking the boys with him, but not before throwing a parting shot, "Youse got 5 minutes, me and Jolly and Bait will be waiting outside for youse, with buckets of water." He moved out of range of her pillow as Kit climbed out of bed.  
  
"Just once I want to hit him with it." She spoke to her self as she stretched. She had been up for an hour but had spent the time lying in bed, enjoying the silence, then Spot had come in. "It's time to plot some revenge on Mr. Conlon." She spoke out loud as she pulled on her shirt and pants and pulled her hair up into a high bun.   
  
She grabbed her hat off the corner of the bunk and stepped out of the room. Spot looked up for where he was teaching the boys some card tricks, "Now here Ise was thinking Ise gonna take a lady. Just crash me hopes Kit." Spot had a playful hurt look on his face.  
  
"What lady were you expecting to take out? I don't think you'd know a lady if she slapped you for being fresh and waking her up by tickling her." Kit sat on a near by bunk as the bantering began.  
  
"Youse wound me fair goil." He held his hand to his chest hurt.  
"Do you want me to kiss it better?" Kit's sarcasm was hard to miss but Spot overlooked it.  
"Of course it hurts right here." Spot pointed at his bottom lip.  
"You poor thing," Kit leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I am hungry, you said something about food?"  
  
"Come on guys Kit's hungry wes better feed her." Spot picked up the cards while Bait climbed onto Kit's back. And after Spot stood up Jolly pulled himself up onto Spot's back.   
  
"Youse sure youse can handle Bait?" Spot looked concerned and afraid that Kit would break with the burden of Bait's slight weight.  
  
"Yes father, You think I would break. All I did was get some extra sleep." Kit rolled her eyes. "So you sell all your papes today?" Kit whispered to Bait.  
  
"Ise got five left."  
"We'll sell them for those two right?"  
"Yep" Bait's huge smile was precious. He then moved a finger to wiggle a loose tooth.  
  
"Hey is that tooth bout ready to fall out?" Spot talked to Bait.   
"NO not gonna to come out." Bait took his finger out of this mouth and wrapped his arm around Kit's neck.  
  
"No? It looks really loose. Ise can pull it for youse if you want me too." Spot made a move to grasp the tooth when Bait pulled away and put his hand over his mouth shaking his head.  
  
"Spot if you keep going for him. I'm gonna drop him. It'll fall out on its own. Jolly you got any loose teeth?" Kit tried to divert attention from Bait.  
  
"Yes my front one right here is loose, but Ise don't wan Spot to pull it yet." Jolly stated.  
  
"Spot no one wants you to pull their teeth. Why's that?" Kit's amusement was evident.  
"Ise don't know. Must have to do with the last tooth Ise removed."  
"How did you do that?"  
"Ise took a string and pulled on it."  
"Oh" was Kit's only reply.  
  
They walked in silence. Every once in a while one of the "horses" would stop to hike the rider up higher. But the silence was comfortable and neither of the horses saw the looks the riders exchanged over their heads. They stopped a corner vendor and picked up some sausages on rolls with sauerkraut. They also went to a small café and bought some bottles of ginger ale and root beer. Then went to sit on near by steps.   
  
The boys finished off their lunch first so Spot gave them their papers and sent them off to sell. He then stood and helped Kit up. "So youse gonna tell me the long version of what happened in Bal'more. Or will Ise rely on you brudder?"  
  
"You sure you want to hear? It's not a pretty story." Kit hoped he would say not but knew by the determined look that she would have to tell the whole thing.  



	14. Medda's Offer for Mills

In the week following the meeting in Brooklyn, Life for the Manhattan newsies was uneventful. Business was as usual the guys were bored with nothing to do. Aside from going to Medda's and hanging out in Central Park there was little to do. Fights between the newsies were becoming common place as the aggressions and frustrations of life begged to be let out but the idle minds that trapped them.  
  
The final straw happened when Cray and Swan got into a wrestling match over a cigarette. Skittery and Boots were tired of not working and demanded that a meeting be called for the Manhattan newsies, Jack agreed and Central park was the designated meeting place.   
  
"What is with calling a meeting Jacky?"  
"Ise don't know Crutchy, but Ise sure Boots or Skitts will tell us." Jack leaned against a statue as he tried to relax and smoke is cigarette.   
  
They didn't wait long. Skittery waited till everyone was assembled before stating why the meeting was been held. "Wes know this here strike been going of for more then a month and some of us got a make some money to live. If this keeps up wes gonna owe Pulitzer more money then wes ever be able to pay back."  
  
"He's right Ise barely got enough to stay at any indoor lodgings for the week Ise gonna have to start selling soon or Ise gonna be in the street." Boots followed up Skittery and others joined in  
.  
Jack called for order but it was slow in coming. Arguments over whether this was the best course of action broke out. The group that wanted to cross the lines and work was small but quite vocal. The size of their coalition was growing with each passing day. The strike had cut deeply into the pockets of the boys, Kloppman had been lenient and had let all the guys stay for a very reduced rate and some had even been staying free.   
  
The larger group wanted to keep on their side of the picket lines. Most felt that their personal safety was of greater importance than making money, which was saying a lot considering that this was a group of kids that barely made ends meet. The groups argued with each other for almost an hour, and while no punches were exchanged words flew back and forth. Finally a sort of order was restored.  
  
"Okay Ise got a plan for all youse. If this strike don't end by next week those of youse who wants to sell can sell for the competition. Don't get all excited, if youse want to sell youse gonna have to watch you own backs. I ain't gonna keep youse from not selling, but Ise not gonna let some one else take you licks." Jack was proud he had reached a compromise that would hopefully work.  
  
"Fine with us. Wes got youse word? Wes can sell at the end of the week, Strike or no strike?" Skittery spoke for all the dissenting newsies.  
  
"Yes that's my word." Jack spit into his hand, as did Skittery, and they shook on it.  
Cray and Mills had gone to the meeting and as it broke up went to find Swan. They found him by the same statue where Jack had been earlier. "Hey Swan you okay? You look horrible." Cray stated in a worried tone.  
  
"Thanks Cray, I know I don't look great, but I don't need you to tell me." Swan looked up before staring out into space.  
"You sure you're okay?"  
"I'm fine." Swan's tone was testy, "Would you just drop it."  
  
"I am sorry I guess caring about my friend is wrong." Cray was offended and it showed on his face and in his voice.  
Swan had the decency to look a little ashamed, "I am sorry I just was think about Kit. Don't you guys have jobs you have to be at?"  
  
"Cray he's right. Wes got ta get going to Medda's fore she decides to fire us both." Mills grabbed Cray's arm. Cray looked down at her but realized she was right. They both gave their good-byes and ran for Medda's.   
  
"It's so nice of you to join us tonight, Crale, Kaitlyn." Medda meet them at the back door, her arms crossed and a stern look in her eye.  
  
"Ise so sorry Medda, me and Cray was out on a walk and wes got distracted."  
Medda raised her eyebrow, "I see well as long as those distractions don't occur while you're here…"  
  
Cray was quick to answer, "No ma'am those distractions would not happen here." He slipped past Medda and hurried to get dressed into his suit.  
  
Medda turned to Mills "So Kaitlyn what's going on with you and Crale? What kind of distractions happened on the way here?" She sounded like a schoolgirl asking her friend for the juicy details of a date.  
"Our distractions was a newsies rally, That's all Medda."  
  
Medda's eyes twinkled as she nodded in agreement, "I have a question, I was wondering if you would like to work different hours?"  
"What do youse mean different hours?"   
  
"I was thinking that you might want a different job. Maybe you would want to dance, sing, or be a waitress."  
  
Mills paused, a waitress or even on stage? She could just picture it, that is until her cousin's face came crashing in. "Medda Ise can't Bryon would throw a fit if he even thought for a second Ise was involved in something like that."  
  
"It isn't like he cannot keep an eye on you."  
"Sure he could still keep watch over me but he don't want any one else keeping an eye on me either."  
  
"I'll talk to Bryon, I am sure he won't mind. Now I have some costumes that need some mending, I'll go assure Bryon that you're fine. Be prepared he might just come back here. After he gets done with Crale." Medda paused, "Bryon is going to give you both the third degree, are you sure you're ready to face him?"  
  
"Of course, Ise can handle my over protective cousin. Ise better get to this stuff though." Mills sat down and began working on the costume. Medda watched her work before leaving her alone.  
  
Mills worked in peace, only interrupted once in a while by the working girls in search of costumes. For the most part she was ignored, not viewed as worth of the girls time. She had been working for two hours when the door opened admitting a tall read haired guy.  
"Well Katie girl, what have you gotten yourself into here?" The voice with an Irish accent cut through the silence.  
  
"Byron O'Riely is that any way to greet youse cousin? Ise haven't gotten me self into any thing."  
"Sure you haven't. All I knows is this here bouncer has got his eyes on you."  
  
"Bry Ise can handle it me self. Ise don't need no half wit cousin busting up my friendship with a guy cuz youse don't like the looks he gives me." Mills stood up looking her cousin in the eye. "Youse lay one finger on Cray and Ise swear that finger ain't gonna be on you hand. Now get outta here youse got work and Ise got work."  
  
Bryon left meekly, properly chastised. Mills sat down on the nearest footstool and put propped her chin up with her hand thinking. She tried to figure out her cousin, why would he be so worried about Cray? Sure she and Cray flirted with each other, but they were just friends. Mills wasn't opposed to the idea of dating Cray, but from experience she knew dating a guy from the same lodging house was stupid. She was lucky Jake still gave her the time of day, much less talked to her. No she was not going to be dating any guy from the lodging house, even Cray.  
  
She let her mind wander as she finished her work, not noticing the world around her as she day dreamed. She finished quickly and curled up on one of the fainting couches in the dressing room and fell asleep. Only moments later, it seemed, she was woken by Cray.  
"Come on Katie, we both need to get going."  
  
She got up slowly rubbing her eyes, and stretching to get rid of the stiffness in her neck. Medda was by the door to see them out. And she had a question for Mills. "Katie girl, You have to be tired of living with all them boys by yourself. I was wondering if you would like to move in here. I would charge you the same as my other girls, 50 cents a week. But that includes a meal a night and clothing."  
"Ise gonna have ta think bout it. Ise give youse my answer tomorrow." Mills wanted to say yes then and there but knew she would have to at least act like she wanted her friends' opinions. Medda nodded and waved the two off on their way.  
  
Nothing was said between Cray and Mills as they walked, bother were tired and more focused on putting one foot in front of the other than on the person they were walking with. After getting to the bunkroom they both collapsed into their respective beds asleep in less than a minute.  



	15. What I Really Did in Baltimore

Kit decided that Spot need the whole truth about Baltimore. The truth that she had never told anyone, not even her own brother. She sighed and started into the telling of her story for the second time in as many months.  
  
"Cray Swan and I came east to look for jobs. Our money ran out in Cincinnati. We all worked until there was enough money to send me and Swan further east. This time our money ran out in Bal'more. We were thrown off the train and this kid found us. He offered us jobs and a place to live. He along with every other newsie just assumed that me and Swan were related and we let them think that. The guy, Chair, decided that I was going to be his girl, I never had a choice, but to keep a roof over our heads, we decided to go with it.  
  
We were in Bal'more three weeks before it all came crashing down. Some how Chair found out that me and Swan weren't related and confronted me when he insisted that Swan sell on his own. Chair accused me of cheating then two others came and joined in on beating me up. I drifted in and out of consciousness. Wakened only by slaps to the face every time one switched places with another. They raped me all three of them. I remember the last time I was conscious seeing Swan come into the alley and punch Chair in the nose. Chair went down and the guy holding me as a shield fled. I remember falling and I guess Swan caught me.  
  
I woke up at the boarding house. Mrs. B was over me, cleaning me up. I decided then to act delirious and not quite there. The cities 'finest' came looking for Swan in connection with Chair's death, but they couldn't prove anything they didn't even have a body.   
  
Swan decided it was time to leave so we left, headed to Philadelphia. When we got there I decided to 'wake up' from my trance. Swan then decided we should head for home and we got as far as Pittsburgh before Swan thought better of it. We turned around and headed for her. That night in the Manhattan bunk room was my first night in New York, and you know the rest of the story."  
  
Spot thoughts of Kit's story as they teamed up to sell the remaining papers were in a jumble. When Jolly and Bait appeared Spot took the money they had eared and sent them off to play after telling them to be back before dark.   
  
When they were out of sight Spot turned to Kit and began to ask some questions that had been bugging him. "Ise got a couple of questions."  
  
Kit had been dreading this since she had finished her story but nodded that she would answer the questions.  
  
"Why youse play that youse don't remember the month after the attack, or even the attack?"  
  
"I didn't want Swan or Cray asking me questions bout the attack or explain stuff that first month. Jus forgetting seemed the logical action."  
"So youse been haven nightmares about this ever since youse been in Brooklyn, but Ise don't get why youse didn't wake anyone up that night in Manhattan? Youse not get one or something?"  
  
Kit considered it before answering, "I think that first nights I was exhausted and just slept. Me and Swan had gotten in on the early train and I had been up since I guess I was jus too tired to care that night. And the other nights I was in a room surrounded by people I guess I felt safe."  
  
Spot stopped to think on her answer, and it did make sense, the nights she hadn't had the nightmares were nights she would fall into bed exhausted. "As Ise sees it the best way to stop this here is dreams is to work youse till you can't see straight. Den youse be too tired to have the nightmares and everybody gets sleep." Spot smiled at his plan, until Kit cuffed him.  
  
"Oh sure brilliant play Spot. Run me ragged then I'll get sick or something and just die. That works." Her sarcasm cut to him to the bone.  
  
"Not sleeping is gonna make youse sick." Spot protested as he rubbed the back of his head.  
  
"Well we're jus gonna have ta find a plan so that I can sleep but I also don't' get run ragged."  
  
Spot nodded slowly conceding to her point. They reached the boarding house before either could come up with any more bright ideas. Going up to the bunkroom they found it a mad house as Kosei had decided that the stuff in the washroom must be moved back to the storage room where it belonged. Kit decided that sorting through stuff would be a good idea, and had the boxes placed off to the side. While the guys placed the furniture in an order along the wall of the room, Kit began to sort. Kosei told Kit that most of the stuff in the boxes was his late wife's and that she could take what ever she wanted.  
  
Kit hoped to find other useful items in the sorting, not just clothes for herself and settled in for a night of cobwebs and mothballs. The guys on the other hand started games of poker, tiddlywinks or just bunked down to sleep, not wanting to be drafted into helping. Even Jolly and Bait were no where to be found and Spot had made himself scarce not long after everything was in place. Kit sighed and began to dig into the boxes.  
  
The first box that Kit opened had some clothes that would be nice additions to her wardrobe come winter; and some that could probably be used to make things for the others also. In the second box Kit uncovered more clothing, but this time it was for a younger boy along with some toys. The clothes looked as if they could fit Bait and Jolly but the toys were a gold mine. She found a checkers set, some tops, a set of jacks, an entire bag of marbles and a wooden sword. Kit knew she would have to ask Kosei if they could use the toys, but figured he would say yes.  
Kit continued her search and found blankets and quilts, a cookbook, some pots and pans and some jewelry. In the final box Kit found some baby clothes and toys. She marked the box but didn't take anything out if it. She laid aside the quilts and jewelry to give to Kosei and began placing the boxes she hadn't found anything useful in away. She had just moved a set of shelves near the bunk when Spot come in, deciding that the sorting had to be done by now.   
  
"Find anything good in dos boxes?" Spot stood back and watched as she placed her finds on the shelves.  
  
"Yep some of the stuff I have to ask Kosei what he wants me to do with it, but look I found some blankest and games. I am the guys will love it."  
  
"Youse probably right. What's this?" Spot bent down and picked up a ring. It was a diamond surrounded by pearls on a gold ring.  
  
"I found that along with some other stuff. I am going to give it to Kosei I am pretty sure it belonged to his wife." Kit looked at the ring in wonder.   
"Ise sure it looks expensive."  
  
"I know that is why I am giving it back to Kosei, I am sure he could use it." Kit spoke as she took the ring and put it on her finger. "I don't know bout you but I am tired. I am heading to bed." Kit gathered up the nightgown and robe she had found and went into the washroom to change.   
  
As she climbed into bed she looked at Spot. "You know a dressing screen would be nice. Then I wouldn't have to change in the wash room."  
  
"Ise thought Ise saw one in the pile of furniture. Ise look tomorrow. If not wes could always string a rope and throw a blanket over it."  
  
"True I hadn't thought of that. Well I'll see you when you wake me up tonight." While it was said as a joke, Kit's voice held little humor.  
  
"Maybe you won't have to get woken up." Spot's voice muffled by his shirt as he took it off.  
  
"We can hope but I doubt it. I'm gonna blow out the candle so you can finish getting ready for bed." Kit spoke as she leaned over to blow the candle out.  
"Fine, Night Kit."   
"Night Spot."  
  
Kit blew out the candle and lay back on to her bunk. She heard some clothing rustle and the bed squeaked as Spot climbed into the top bunk. She soon fell into a deep sleep. Spot stayed awake a little longer thinking about some things that had been brought up in the bunk room, yet soon even he had drifted off to dream land.   
  
That night marked the first night that Kit had slept through the night with out dreaming without either going to bed exhausted or Spot sleeping in the bed next to her. Neither of them woke until morning and the call of Kosei waking up the newsies.  



	16. Back to the Old Grind

  
The next morning in Manhattan was filled with the usual pandemonium of boys fighting over sinks and stalls. Jostling to be the first one ready to spend the they bored. Amazingly Mills slept oblivious to it all. And two bored newsies took notice.  
"Hey Mush youse thinking what Ise thinking?" Race elbowed Mush and nodded at the sleeping Mills.  
  
"Youse got to be kidding Race. She'll kill you." Mush actually looked a bit frightened.  
"Nah jus youse watch." Race filled a cup with water and went over to Mills' bunk. "Millie youse need ta wake up."  
  
Mills mumbled something unintelligible as she pulled the blanket over her head. Her sleep was ruined as the water from Race's cup poured over her head. She screeched as she sat up "Racetrack Higgens youse get back her so Ise can soak youse."   
  
"Mills youse already soaked. Now don't get mad at me." Race began to back up, "All Ise did was pour a little bit of water on youse."  
  
"A little water. Race Ise swear that's the last straw. Ise leaving and moving to Medda's." Mills turned back to her bed and began to gather her things placing them into her pillowcase. After she had everything together she grabbed the make shift suitcase, "If youse want ta talk to me Ise gonna be at Medda's and Ise ain't gonna be back." She left leaving the guys gapping at each other in stunned silence.   
  
The silence didn't last long as the guys began to look for someone to blame. The first choice was obvious, Race. "What you do that for Race? Wes lucky if wes ever see her again." Blink turned throwing his pillow at Race. Race threw it back, but missed Blink and got Boots instead.   
  
A yell of "PILLOW FIGHT" rang in the room and the room was filled with two dozen pillows flying in the air. In the end all the newsies sat on the floor or draped themselves over the furniture. Feathers were drifting down here and there and every once in a while a handful would be thrown at a person.   
  
Jack and Cray sat leaning against the wall discussing Mills' walk out. Cray was relating the night before and Medda's offer. "I think Mills was just waiting for a reason to leave. Race gave it to her."  
  
"Youse right, she's was mentioning that she was looking for a place to live. Wes not gonna tell Race though."  
  
"Tell Race what? He doesn't need to know he isn't the reason she left. I better go find her, I supposed to help her with some stuff at work."  
  
"Wes coming down later after lunch."  
  
"Fine I'll tell Medda to lock the place up." Jack threw a fist full of feathers at Cray, which fell very short of their target and laughed as he went.  
  
Cray stepped over and around the newsies lying on the floor and headed for Medda's. Along the way he passed a newsies selling copies of "The World".  
  
"Hey kid when did "The World" start selling?"  
"Just today. The workers got tired of not working and just all showed up ta work yesterday."  
"I didn't hear about this, you sure?"  
"Ise selling papes for the "World" ain't I?"  
Cray held back a glare, "Yeah thanks for the news."  
"Youse gonna buy a pape?"  
"Oh yeah, here." Cray knew that a paper would be the needed proof as he walked back toward the lodging house.   
  
As he walked up the stairs Cray stopped all the newsies he stopped all the newsies he saw saying he had big news.  
"Cray Ise thought youse had to get ta work?"  
  
"Well I was going to work when I ran into a newsie selling this." He held out the paper.  
"Ise hope a newsies would be selling papes. Big deal." Race countered.  
"Wes normally sell these if they were the "World". Crutchy added.  
  
"Well then look at the Banner you chumps." Cray was a little disgusted with them.  
"It says "THE WORLD Aug 2, 1901" big deal. HOLY COW. It's a "World" pape." Crutchy almost fell after reading it.  
  
"Were youse get that Cray?" Jack and the rest crowed around Cray in an attempt to tell if it was real or not.  
"I told you from a newsie, where else I gonna get a pape?" Cray waited for the news to sink in.  
  
"This means what I think it means Jacky?" Crutchy called out from the back of the circle, after everyone had gone around him to see the copy of "The World".  
  
"Ise guessing this means the strike be over. What this kid tell youse Cray?"  
"Just that the workers showed up at the printing presses yesterday. No reason Just like the past month and a half hadn't happened." Cray shrugged.  
  
"Well Ise guess we got papes to sell this afternoon. But first wes got ta clean this place up." Jack started assigning jobs to people.  
"Jack I'm going to really go to Medda's and tell Mills."  
"That's fine Cray. Ise betting youse two will only be selling in the morning."  
"I am guessing your right. Swan you want ta come?"  
  
"Nah I think I'm going over to Brooklyn. I'll sell tomorrow." Swan gathered up his had before leaving.  
"Tell Kit I say hi?" Cray called after him.  
"Will do." Swan headed off in the direction of Brooklyn while Cray headed for Medda's.  
  
Cray entered Medda's slightly out of breath. He heard Medda practicing and after listening for a while went to find Mills. She wasn't in either the dressing rooms or the kitchen. He ran into Bryon and decided to ask him where she was.  
  
"You're Katie's cousin, Bryon, right?"  
"Yeah youse the new bouncer, Crale?"  
"I am not that new but yeah I'm Crale. I was wondering if Katie was around?"  
  
"I think that Medda put her up stairs. No man is allowed up there though." Bryon turned to the girls hanging around the bar, "Crystal, could you go get Katie and tell her a friend wants to see her." Crystal nodded and went up stairs, coming down five minutes later followed by Mills. At least Cray thought it was Mills.  
  
She had taken a bath and her hair was now done up, plus she was wearing rouge and a skirt. The skirt threw Cray. "Katie?"  
Mills smiled, "Youse think youse never seen a goil before." She reached over and closed Cray's open mouth. "Don't want ta let anything fall out do we?"  
  
Cray opened his mouth, but should have left it closed, "You look like a girl."  
"I am one stupid." Mills gave him a look.  
"But now you look it." Cray let out foolishly.  
  
"Girl or not I can still soak you." She looked ready to follow through but Bryon grabbed her arm.  
  
"Now Katie, he just meant you look nice. Now Crale surely you didn't come just to admire Katie's new look." Bryon couldn't help teasing both Cray and Mills.  
  
Cray finally came out of his trance " Oh yeah, Katie, the World is up and running again. Jack wants to know if you plan on selling still or what exactly is going on."  
  
His eyes never left the toes of his shoes. Mills sighed she had hoped that the dress would produce more than a stunned silence.  
"Ise guess Ise can keep selling in the morning. But Ise gonna live here."  
  
"Fine with me. I'll tell Jack when he comes in today. Unless you want ta tell him." Cray looked up.  
  
"Youse can tell him. Ise got some work to do. See youse later Crale, Bryon." Mills turned around and headed back up the stairs and out of sight. After she had ascended Cray shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs.   
  
"Welcome to the land of the living, I'm watching you Crale, she's me cousin and I wan t nothing happening to her."  
  
"Sure I won't be hurting her if I can help it. I need to get to work. Tell her I'll talk to her later." Cray left with a shake of his head trying to figure out what just happened and how he was going to deal with what he had just realized.  



End file.
